Air cleaners and purifiers are widely used for removing foreign substances from the air. The foreign substances can include pollen, dander, smoke, pollutants, dust, etc. In addition, an air cleaner can be used to circulate room air. An air cleaner can be used in many settings, including at home, in offices, etc.
One type of air cleaner is an electrostatic precipitator. An electrostatic precipitator operates by creating an electrical field. Dirt and debris in the air becomes ionized when it is brought into the electrical field by an airflow. Charged positive and negative electrodes in the electrostatic precipitator air cleaner, such as positive and negative plates, attract the ionized dirt and debris. The electrodes can release the dirt and debris when not powered, and the electrostatic precipitator can be removed and cleaned. Because the electrostatic precipitator comprises electrodes or plates through which airflow can easily and quickly pass, only a low amount of energy is required to generate the airflow. As a result, foreign objects in the air can be efficiently and effectively removed.
FIG. 1 shows one prior art air cleaner 100. The prior art air cleaner 100 includes a pre-filter 101, an electrostatic precipitator 102, a fan unit 103, and a post-filter 104. The pre-filter 101, the electrostatic precipitator 102, the fan unit 103, and the post-filter 104 are independent devices, wherein each component can be independently installed and removed. Airflow through the prior art air cleaner 100 first encounters the pre-filter 101, then the electrostatic precipitator 102, the fan unit 103, and finally the post-filter 104. The pre-filter 101 removes larger objects from the airflow, such as debris that could block or clog the electrostatic precipitator 102. The pre-filter 101 is typically rather coarse, and is designed to minimally impede the incoming airflow. The electrostatic precipitator 102 removes dirt and debris by electrostatic attraction to electrode plates, as previously discussed. The post-filter 104 is typically a fine filter that is designed to remove any small particulate remaining in the airflow.
This prior art air cleaner 100 has drawbacks. The post-filter 104 is located after the fan unit 103. The post-filter 104 is included to remove any dirt and debris that is not removed by the pre-filter 101 and by the electrostatic precipitator 102. Therefore, it is anticipated that some dirt and debris is still in the airflow when it reaches the post-filter 104. As a result, the motor of the fan unit 103 is subjected to the at least partially dirty airflow, causing shortened motor life, shortened bearing life, increased electrical current consumption, increased heating, etc.
FIG. 2 shows another prior art air cleaner 200. This prior art air cleaner 200 includes a filter unit 201 and a fan unit 202. The prior art filter unit 201 can comprise an integral pre-filter, electrostatic precipitator, and post-filter. Any pre-filter, electrostatic precipitator, or post-filter comprising the prior art filter unit 201 cannot be independently installed or removed.
This prior art air cleaner 200 also has drawbacks. The integral nature of the air cleaner 200 is inflexible. Consequently, the prior art air cleaner 200 cannot be assembled with various filter element sizes, capacities, cleaning abilities and cleaning specialties, etc. In addition, the prior art air cleaner 200 cannot allow individual components to be independently removed, cleaned, serviced, replaced, etc. Moreover, the components of the prior art air cleaner 200 form a long air processing segment, and cannot be moved or located according to the physical size or shape of the overall air cleaner.